


Pink

by twinklingpaopufruit



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: 50s Greasers, Diners, Dorks in Love, Drama, Fluff, Happy Ending, M/M, Misunderstandings, Motorcycles
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-08
Updated: 2020-10-03
Packaged: 2021-03-07 00:53:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 12,296
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26278222
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/twinklingpaopufruit/pseuds/twinklingpaopufruit
Summary: The sun rises, and it blooms against the sky. That morning, a boy who lives in a town that loathes everything about who he is, sits with another boy, who colors sunrises in pink.
Relationships: Kim Mingyu/Xu Ming Hao | The8
Comments: 13
Kudos: 72
Collections: The Gyuhao Exhibit 2020: Snap Shoot





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> inspired by The Outsiders and the call call call mv~  
> set in the late 50s
> 
> heads up: Soc is pronounced as sosh like in the word social.

"I don't want to serve a hood—"

—Is what Minghao and Jeonghan hear as soon as they step inside the diner. A waitress, fresh outta high school, whispers harshly back and forth with another coworker over who will take their order. Minghao awkwardly stands there, stuffing his hands inside his leather jacket. 

Jeonghan smiles cheekily in their direction and glances around the diner before spotting an empty booth in the back. Jeonghan cocks his head, and Minghao follows him down the aisle.

They sit across from each other with Minghao's back to the wall and eyes to the door. He hates having his back exposed, scared he might get jumped, but Jeonghan doesn't really care. He's just wild and reckless like that.

He and Jeonghan are Greasers. That's what the town calls them—and sometimes—they get the term hood rolled and spat at them like a slur. They're almost like hoods. They steal things, drive old motorcycles, hold up liquor stores, and have a gang fight every once in a while—but they haven't killed anyone. At least no one in their group has. They aren't hoods. 

The town is the one who gives them a bad rep just for living on the low east side. Minghao hates the dirty looks that everyone gives them when they walk down the street or when school is in session, and all the girls act like he's going to pull a switchblade on them. 

Minghao taps his foot, scanning the entire diner. People are looking their way, Minghao is sure of it. He hates to be stared at for long periods and hates coming here, but Jeonghan loves the burgers, so Minghao sucks it up, plus, it's better than lone-ing it. 

The diner is slightly crowded for this time of day. It's usually bustling at night when all the high schoolers have nothing to do. It's everyone's favorite spot. The diner has a surprisingly clean checkered tile floor. Flamingo-pink zests the booths, stools, and countertops. A bar island stretches across the entire restaurant, where the workers whiz up their famous milkshakes. It's a little out of Minghao's taste.

Minghao looks across at Jeonghan. His friend is the best looking guy in town. Despite being a Greaser, the girls can't help but be enamored by him. He's the eldest in the gang and the wise-cracker of their group. His mouth can twist and turn a mile a minute. Jeonghan, one time shoplifted his signature red leather jacket and had convinced the store clerk that he had walked in with it. Even through the antics, Minghao respects him. Jeonghan always protects his own and will go into a tight situation, safety be damned. Friends like Jeonghan are rare, and one needs friends like him when Socs share the town with them.

Socs are parasites. They are the rich snobby kids who live on the west side. They are the real menaces to society. Drunk, jumping Greasers just for kicks, destroying public property—but no one bats an eye at them since their daddies are the ones who run the town. Everyone just looks the other way. 

A vibrating purr echoes outside. Minghao looks out the window to his right. He smiles as he watches Wonwoo approach on his bike. He waves at them from outside. However, the low rumble of a familiar Corvair hums jarringly against Minghao's bones. The green Corvair parks beside Wonwoo's bike, and three Socs begin to climb out. Minghao stands to his feet, reaching inside his pocket for his switchblade, but then, another bike rumbles close by.

Jihoon's bike screeches to a halt on the sidewalk right in front of the Corvair. He leans against the arms of his bike and raises an eyebrow. The Socs' eyes open wide, and they all shuffle back into their car, hightailing out of there.

Minghao and Jeonghan both snort. He retakes his seat and waits for his two friends to join them. Minghao makes room for Wonwoo, but Jihoon has to squeeze in next to Jeonghan, who refuses to move. Jeonghan blows him a kiss, and Jihoon responds with a roll of his eyes. He accepts sitting next to his friend, thigh to thigh. 

Wonwoo is seventeen, tall, with thick greasy hair. He combs it in one giant complicated swirl over his head. He's definitely the smartest of them. Wonwoo just finished receiving his GED to put in extra hours at the gas station and earn some more cash. He's working up to buy a house. Minghao thinks it's ridiculous, but he's not going to offend someone like Wonwoo. If Jeonghan has everyone's back, Wonwoo is the one to put you in your place. He won't backtalk or square up with you, but he has a knack of giving you a disapproving stare that you end up apologizing and crying. The first time Wonwoo gave him that look, Minghao had ended up sobbing and returning the ten dollars he stole from a liquor store. It was super embarrassing that he didn't tell the rest of the gang. 

Jihoon is seventeen, too, and definitely the most dangerous. Everyone knows about his reputation of going in and out of jail. He just came out three days ago for punching his boss across the face. In Jihoon's defense, Minghao thinks Jihoon's boss deserved it. The man had accused Jihoon of stealing car parts. Jihoon doesn't lift things like the rest of them; if he wants something, he takes it in front of your face. Jihoon has too much pride to do things behind people's backs. He's always straight with you, and if you aren't, well, Jihoon packs a nasty punch. 

"Aren't you supposed to be in summer school?" Wonwoo asks Jeonghan. Jeonghan shrugs. "Jeonghan, they told you they will give you your diploma if you just repeat stats and chem." 

"Then I'll repeat stats and chem as a senior again," Jeonghan remarks with a grin.

Minghao keeps his mouth shut. Jeonghan's graduation is a sensitive topic for the two. It's been brought up a lot these past few days over summer vacation. 

Jeonghan was supposed to have already graduated, but Jeonghan wasn't attending his summer classes. Minghao knows it's because Jeonghan wants to repeat senior year to keep an eye out for Seokmin. 

Seokmin is the last one of their group. He's not the youngest, but he might as well be. Everyone loves Seokmin—even Jihoon. Seokmin is always bright and way too kind, but sometimes, he gets jumpy and nervous. It's not his fault. Some Socs had beat Seokmin up behind the bleachers during homecoming. They had scrammed when they saw Jihoon come at them with a broken pop bottle. He managed to hit one of them in the knee before they were able to escape. When the rest of the gang had gotten there, Minghao had been so scared. He had never seen anyone look like that. He thought Seokmin wasn't going to make it. To make matters worse, Seokmin lives in the worst kind of home to parents who don't even care about him. They are always finding him some way to direct their anger at their only son. 

It's the reason why Wonwoo wants to buy a home. Both he and Jeonghan are determined to get Seokmin out of that house. 

He avoids the conversation and looks over at the bar island. Minghao pauses. He sees a teen about his age in a pink and white striped apron tied around a white shirt and pants. He's got a ridiculous white paper hat on top of his brown hair, and a red bow tie clipped at the collar of his neck. He's tall and looks surprisingly built underneath his work clothes. He's speaking with a customer, both arms leaned against the counter as he smiles at her. His tooth flashes at the corner of his mouth. The teen suddenly looks up in their direction, and when he catches Minghao staring, he bares his toothy grin at him. Minghao flushes and turns back to his friends, who have begun emptying out their pockets for whatever cash they can dig up. 

Minghao half-heartedly tugs out whatever coins are in his pockets and takes a chance at looking back at the other boy. The teen has turned back to the customer and is whipping up a milkshake while speaking to his coworker. It's the same girl who called them hoods. Mingyu looks over his shoulder at them, and Minghao hurriedly looks away again.

He doesn't recognize the other boy at all. Their town isn't that small, but they still only have one high school, and Minghao has never seen him before. 

When Jeonghan is telling Wonwoo, "You have to have one more quarter! That broad with the hips tipped you for filling up her car," the boy approaches them. 

Minghao tries not to look up at him.

"Awww baby, I thought we had hit it off," Jeonghan calls out loud to the waitress who had refused to serve them. 

The waitress scuffles off to another booth. 

"So, what will it be?" The boy asks them with a notepad and pen at the ready. 

Minghao keeps his eyes on Wonwoo's fingers, which is counting up the cash. They have 96 cents, enough for four cheeseburgers and two cokes. 

Wonwoo gives the boy their order, and he writes it down. 

As he walks away, Minghao looks up quickly to see if he can read his nametag, but the other boy doesn't have one pinned on him. Minghao tries to look again when Mingyu returns with their food ten minutes later. 

They gobble their food and scarf it down, barely coming up to have a decent conversation. As they begin to leave, Minghao spots Jeonghan lift some fries off a waitress' tray before she even notices. He knows that Jeonghan will see Seokmin later today, so the fries must be for him. 

Minghao hears the rumbles of Wonwoo's and Jihoon's bikes. "You sure you don't want a ride home?" Wonwoo asks them. 

They both shake their heads. Both their friends speed off, and Minghao watches their figures get smaller as he and Jeonghan stroll on. He and Jeonghan both have their own bikes, but they're currently sitting at Jihoon's mechanic shop. They wrecked their bikes, racing some other Greasers and trying to score $20 bucks each. They had won the race but at the cost of their transmission. 

As they are walking, Minghao stuffs his hands back into his leather jacket and freezes. His switchblade is missing. It must have fallen out when he was pulling out whatever coins he had. 

"Hey, I'm going to head back to the diner. I dropped my blade," Minghao tells Jeonghan.

"You want me to walk you back?"

Minghao looks down the street.

A hazy sunset turns the sky a deep orange that starts fading into a black sky. Most of the town's buildings are cast in shadows as the large town hall blocks the sun. Shops are slowly beginning to turn on their lights and neon signs. 

The Pink Cadillac Diner's neon sign glows pink and blue. The pink car printed above the lettering flashes in and out from faulty wiring, but it's still the brightest sign all over town. 

Minghao knows it's not good to walk around at night, but the diner isn't too far from his home.

"No, I'm good. I'll keep my head down. Promise." He waves his friend off and heads on back. He gets there quickly enough, and he opens the door to the diner. Peeking his head, Minghao double checks no one is at their booth. 

The diner has pretty much emptied out, so Minghao keeps his head down and quickly walks forward. He stands in front of the booth, and his eyes open wide. His switchblade isn't there. He ducks under the table, hoping it had just fallen.

"I thought it was yours."

Minghao shoots up and spins as he sees the same guy from earlier. His eyes fall to the offered switchblade. 

"That's not mine," Minghao lies on instinct.

"But that's where you were sitting," the teen replies with confusion. 

"No, I wasn't."

"I'm not going to call the fuzz. Here take it."

Minghao takes one hard look at him. The teen smiles earnestly at him. Minghao doesn't trust it. He stuffs the blade back into his pocket and quickly walks away. 

>>>

Minghao wakes up early the next day to the sound of his parents arguing. Minghao groans and rolls over. He stretches for his wristwatch that's sitting on his nightstand. 

It's barely four am. The watch slips from his fingers and clunks heavily on the carpet. 

Another groan leaves his mouth, and he rolls onto his stomach, grasping his pillow and pulling it over his head to muffle the shouting. 

It doesn't work.

Minghao grunts. He kicks off his sheets and drags his body into a sitting position. He takes a moment to rub his eyes, and his vision focuses on the faded yellow wallpaper that covers the walls of his bedroom. It's some flowery pattern—clearly the remnants of some previous teenage girl's room. 

His twin bed is squeezed against the corner underneath the only window in the room that stays open all summer to battle the heat. 

There's a child's size dresser on his bed's right side with wonky doors that don't close right. Minghao's shirts push against the door, begging for freedom. Occasionally, one slips free and topples on the floor. 

He has a small two-drawer cabinet at the foot of his bed filled with his jeans and underwear. On top of the drawer are eight empty coke bottles filled with beads, rocks, and dried flower petals he has collected over the years. 

Opposite of his bed is a wall covered in dozens of sketches, thumb-tacked to the wall. They're mostly charcoal sketches. A handful of them are portraits of his friends, drawings when his friends weren't looking. There's a few blurry sunsets, one of an ocean he hopes to visit someday, and a few in watercolor that he had managed to lift from the art's classroom in sophomore year. 

He hears more shouting, and then suddenly, a door slams. It shakes the foundation of the house, and a sketch slips to the ground. 

Minghao sighs loudly. 

He goes through his dresser, then his cabinet pulling out some clothes. Quickly changing out of his pajamas, he pulls on his fresh clothes, not bothering to shower. He doesn't want to leave his room and accidentally invite his parent's anger toward him. 

Minghao runs his fingers through his hair, fluffs it a few times, and spots his backpack underneath his bed. He pulls it out and fills with his sketchbook and his broken pieces of charcoal. 

He hears the tail end of his father's scream, and Minghao hops onto his bed and climbs out the window. 

He adjusts his shirt and pops the collar of his leather jacket. It's going to get hot later, and soon it will be too stifling to wear, but Minghao will brave through it. He prides himself on his studded leather jacket. A little sweat doesn't bother him much. 

He steps onto the street and walks through a neighborhood still sleeping comfortably in their homes. Minghao can see the light scraping against the horizon. It draws his attention inward, and his feet take him to the lot.

The lot is the gang's hideaway spot. It's been abandoned by all other occupants for years. It sits behind a sizeable rickety apartment building, hidden by trees that curl inward over the lot like a giant beach umbrella. 

Minghao and the guys had found a couch abandoned by a dumpster and hauled it to the lot to take up a new residence underneath the trees.

The place is a mess: filled with trash collected over the years and weeds that scratch against shins. 

Minghao pushes against the wired fence, ducking underneath the small opening. His feet rustle against the grass and weeds—the noise sounding like repeated whispers cutting into the early morning. 

He gets within eye-sight of the couch and stops walking.

The boy from the diner is sitting on their couch with a notebook in his lap. He doesn't notice him as his hand makes quick and sure strokes with a dark-colored pencil. 

This is the point where Jihoon would tell him to grow some balls and say to that kid to get off their turf. 

Usually, he doesn't listen to Jihoon's harsh demands, but he's right. This teen doesn't belong here.

So, he takes determined strides forward. His boots are now crunching against the shrubs. He gets within three feet of the couch when the teen finally turns to look up at him.

"Whatcha doing in Greaser turf, kid?" Minghao threatens firmly. 

"Kid?" The teen chuckles. "You don't look old enough to be calling anyone kid."

"I'm turning sixteen in a few months. I'm gonna be a junior this upcoming year."

"Ha! I'm already sixteen! Older than you. You can't call me, kid." The teen puts away his green colored pencil into a lunchbox and pulls out a pink one. 

The teen starts to dot pink against his notebook. "Don't ignore me," Minghao states. "This isn't your turf. Get out."

"I don't know much about whose and whose turf. I just moved here. This just looked like a good place to draw."

He drops his pink color pencil and holds his notebook open for Minghao to get a quick look at the sunrise's scenic drawing.

It's actually really good. There's a technicality in his precise lines and color choices that makes some jealousy flare inside Minghao. 

The teen drops his notebook back into his lap and picks up another shade of pink. 

"I'm from a big city," the teen tells him. "So I don't really care about reps and stuff. I don't care about yours."

It's the first time Minghao has heard anyone say something like this. Reputation is everything in this town where everyone knows each other.

"You don't?" Minghao needs to ask to make sure.

"Nope." The teen looks away from his drawing again and smiles up at him. "I'm Mingyu."

Prickles of heat stain Minghao's face red. It's thankfully hidden as the sky is still pretty dark. 

"This is where you introduce yourself," Mingyu says. "Or are people too backward here for introductions?"

He scowls. "Minghao."

"Neat. Were you just going to sit here and lone it?" Mingyu asks.

"I actually came here to draw," Minghao admits only because it seems sadder to lie and agree with Mingyu's question.

"Oh!" Mingyu scoots over all the way to the end of the couch. "You can sit with me."

"That seems kinda—"

"C'mon. I won't bother you."

Minghao stares at the sunken couch cushion and makes his decision. He drops to his seat, the springs squeaking even with his weight.

He sets his backpack at his feet and pulls out his notebook and charcoal.

The sun rises, and it blooms against the sky. That morning, a boy who lives in a town that loathes everything about who he is, sits with another boy, who colors sunrises in pink.

>>>

Later that same night, the gang meets up and sneaks in over the Nightly Double drive-in movie's back fence. It doesn't cost much to enter the place without a car, but Jeonghan always insists that doing things the legal way isn't any fun.

They walk to the three rows of seats in front of the concession stand to sit down. There's only one group of girls in the seats. They are passing a cigarette around and giggling loudly. Everyone else is inside their cars, some of them genuinely enjoying the movie on the screen, others have their car windows fogged up. 

The gang sits in the back row and kicks up their feet. The girls give them wary looks, but Wonwoo tosses them another cigarette, and they leave them alone.

Minghao leans against Jeonghan's shoulder and throws one leg over Seokmin's thigh. He's pretty content with the movie rolling on the big screen, but then Jeonghan and Jihoon complain that they're hungry.

Minghao and Seokmin know what that means. They're the youngest. They gather as much money as they can and walk to the concession stand.

As usual, there's a mile-long line. A few other teens snarl at them and their leather jackets. Seokmin doesn't seem to understand, so he smiles brightly at them. It throws the people in front of them off, and they turn away from them.

"Who were you with at the lot earlier today?" Seokmin asks.

Minghao is startled for a moment. "You were there?"

"Parents kicked me out early in the morning, so I started making my way to the usual, but you were already there with some other kid. So who was he?" Seokmin playfully bumps shoulders with him. 

It's not like Minghao to make friends outside their little group. Everyone knows this. It's not from lack of trying, it's just no one, but his friends and other Greasers give him the time of day. 

"Just some new kid in town. Didn't know that was our turf."

"Ah, well, you two looked comfortable, so I headed over to Jihoon's."

Minghao snaps his head.

Seokmin smiles, "I didn't tell him you were there with some kid. Jihoon would have marched there and punched him out cold."

"Yeah."

"You two friends?"

"What makes you say that?"

"You two were sitting together."

"Everyone, you sit with is your friend?"

"Sure? If they want to be!"

Minghao huffs out a laugh. 

When they're about to be next in line, Minghao hears the familiar sound of some teen bellowing out, "Fight!"

Seokmin and Minghao lock eyes before sprinting back to their spot. They push their way past the teens' circle and see Jihoon on the ground wrestling with a Soc. And not just any Soc—Kwon Soonyoung. Soonyoung is stradling Jihoon's waist while two other Soc's hold down Jihoon's kicking legs and flailing arms. Both Soonyoung's and Jihoon's hair are drenched from pop, so it's difficult to know who picked the fight.

Wonwoo and Jeonghan are being held back by other Socs.

It's definitely not a fair fight.

Minghao jumps into it, and before any of the Socs can react, he charges at Soonyoung knocking him off Jihoon. He climbs into his lap and starts punching left and right. 

Someone yanks him by the back of his collar and drops him into the dirt. A Soc starts punching him in return.

It becomes an all-out rumble after that. Other greasers that are from Bumzu's gang join in, and some other Socs that Minghao doesn't recognize jump into the fray as well.

Minghao is fighting with all he's got, and he hopes the others are okay.

The fighting comes to an abrupt halt when someone in the crowd shouts, "Heater!"

Minghao flinches as he hears a gun. He spins around and sees a no-good hood fire a bullet into the air. He shoots another. Minghao scrambles from under a beefy Soc and starts running. The rest of his gang isn't far behind.

The Socs take a moment to realize that their target has escaped, and soon, they are chasing them out of the drive-in. Minghao really wishes they wouldn't have listened to Jeonghan and brought their bikes because hearing the rumble of Corvairs behind them makes Minghao's skin run cold.

Seokmin shouts something about heading to the loft, but Wonwoo tells him they can't have the Socs knowing about their spot. 

They head into town. Minghao's shoes scrape against the pavement as they make a sharp turn. The sound of cars is getting louder.

Minghao's eyes catch the glowing pink and blue sign of the Pink Cadillac Diner. He reacts without thinking. He pushes his long legs to run even faster and tells the group to follow him.

The bell over the door swings harshly as they tumble inside. 

The diner is packed. There are couples on dates, middle schoolers throwing fries at each other, and even a few adults enjoying a burger and fries. Other teens are taking up all the booths, leaving only empty seats in the bar area. 

Minghao spots Mingyu in the middle of whipping up a milkshake at the bar, and he rushes over, taking a seat. The rest of the group smartly mirrors him. Everyone in the diner is staring at them, and Minghao can't blame them. They're covered in dirt and bruises. 

"I dropped the money in the rumble," Seokmin says. "We can't stay here. They'll kick us out."

Minghao tenses as he hears the engine of the Corvair reach them and suddenly turn off. Car doors slam, and then a bell rings behind them. 

"Three milkshakes and fries." 

Minghao jumps as Mingyu drops food in front of their group. Minghao looks up at him and sees Mingyu giving him a mystic smile. Minghao frowns but whips around the seat when he hears Soonyoung's voice.

"There they are!"

Mingyu thinks quickly on his feet and smiles at the four Socs by the entrance. "No fighting with paying customers. If you do, I might have to call the fuzz."

Soonyoung scoffs and waves his hands in defeat and leaves the diner in a huff.

The gang waits until the Corvair pulls away from the parking lot before turning to Mingyu.

"We don't have money to pay for this," Wonwoo speaks up for the gang.

Mingyu shoots Wonwoo a flirty smirk, and it makes Minghao bristle. "I got it. No worries."

"So...free food?" Seokmin asks.

Mingyu isn't even finished nodding before Jeonghan and Jihoon is dipping their fries into the milkshake. 

Mingyu turns away from them to start making another order of milkshakes.

"Why?" Minghao suddenly directs.

Mingyu hums and shrugs. 

He knows nothing about the other boy other than the early morning moment they had, but he does know that coy and mysterious doesn't suit him one bit.

"Cut the crap," Jihoon scoffs, apparently sensing it too. "Why did you stick your neck out for us, Greasers?"

Mingyu shoots him a look, and Minghao worries that Mingyu will talk about what they did this morning.

"Cause I don't care about rep," Mingyu repeats from the early morning. 

The answer is good enough for Jihoon because he returns to his food. Minghao isn't that easily swayed.

>>>

Minghao heads to the loft the next morning. It's not because his parents are arguing, but Minghao is curious if Mingyu returned to the spot. 

He sneaks under the fence, and he's not surprised to see Mingyu sitting there again. A frown pulls at Minghao's lips. He doesn't announce his presence. He approaches, crunching noisily against the grass and weeds, and drops his backpack onto the couch with a thump.

"Hey there," Mingyu smiles, looking up at him. His smile drops as they make eye contact. "Shoot. Those Soc got you good."

Minghao sits at the end of the couch and tries not to rub at his sore jaw. When he got home last night, a purple bruise had swelled there. He had been too tired to ice it. He regrets it now as his jaw smarts something terrible.

"Yeah, well," Minghao grunts. He pulls out his sketchbook and his charcoal and starts to draw his frustration into the notebook. 

Mingyu thankfully, doesn't say anything more. He returns back to his own drawing, and they sit in silence once more. 

>>>

A week later, Minghao is walking on the streets in the early morning. He's walking in the middle of town, coming back from checking Jihoon's progress on his bike. His fingers are itching to get back behind the wheel. 

But, as he walks on his lonesome, a car turns a corner and then slowly follows him. Minghao's heart rate picks up. He sneaks a glance over his shoulder and sees Soonyoung behind the wheel with Seungkwan in the passenger seat. 

Not good.

They are probably still upset about the drive-in incident. Minghao is upset knowing that Jihoon had later admitted to them that he was the cause of the fight. Soonyoung had apparently looked at Jihoon funny, so Jihoon had chucked an abandoned soda at him. 

Minghao starts to walk at a brisker pace, but the Corvair speeds up. 

Minghao looks ahead, scanning the area for a quick getaway. His eyes zone in on the Pink Cadillac Diner sign. 

Minghao quickens his pace and dashes inside the diner. He sees Mingyu in his usual spot behind the diner. When Mingyu spots him, Mingyu smiles. Minghao nervously shuffles forward and sits on the pink stool. Mingyu drops a milkshake in front of him, and before Minghao can protest, he hears the door chime.

He slowly turns around.

This time its Seungkwan. "You can't hide in here forever."

"You can't chase him around forever," Mingyu replies bravely. "Don't you have some bash to plan for later tonight?"

Seungkwan scoffs but ends up leaving.

Minghao huffs but turns to Mingyu. "Thanks," he mutters.

Mingyu grins, "Don't mention it. Shake's on the house, by the way."

"No, you don't have to. I have some money for this."

"No, really." Mingyu smiles again. It's the same flirty smirk he had shot Wonwoo a week ago. It makes Minghao want to squirm in his seat. 

Apparently, Mingyu is just friendly. 

"I got it. It's really no trouble."

Minghao presses his lips into a thin line and pushes his luck. "It's too early for a milkshake."

"Oh? Well, it's breakfast time. Want some eggs and sausage?"

Minghao nods slowly. He watches Mingyu take the milkshake and walk from behind the bar to give the milkshake to a small child sitting with his mom. The kid gasps in delight.

Mingyu returns to his spot, grinning at Minghao, obviously waiting for some sort of compliment for his thoughtfulness. 

Minghao isn't going to give it to him purely on principle. Mingyu calls to the kitchen from the small window for an order of eggs.

As they wait, Minghao fights the urge to fidget. He should have just taken the treat. It would mean he wouldn't have to sit here awkwardly. 

"Sorry about not showing up at the spot for a week," Mingyu says. He leans against the bar island, so he and Minghao are up close.

"Oh! Uh...it's fine. I hadn't noticed," Minghao lies. He had been showing up there every day before the sunrise to see if Mingyu would show up. He never did. 

"They gave me the morning shift now."

"What time do you get off?" Minghao asks before he can stop himself.

Mingyu bites his lip for a moment and Minghao feels a blush coming on. He feels completely un-tuff. 

Mingyu pulls back his bottom lip and leans slightly closer. "I get off in an hour. Do you want to head to the spot together?"

Minghao should say no. "Sounds good to me."

"Nifty."

Minghao snorts and briefly looks away. "You're going to get your uniform dirty if you come with me."

"Is that a promise?" 

Minghao blushes furiously. Now, he knows Mingyu is flirting. He hastily looks around to see if anyone else in the diner had heard. But the mother and her child are the only ones here. He's not used to flirting with boys. It's just not a thing. Well, he knows it's a thing. Just not a thing here. So he wonders if Mingyu is used to this. Maybe he's just brave. Or just stupid. 

"I meant the grass and weeds are going to stain your white pants," Minghao clarifies, smoothing his voice into something disinterested. 

Mingyu laughs. "I change here in the staff bathroom. So I'll just change back into my regular clothes once my shift ends."

A bell rings.

Mingyu looks over his shoulder at the plate the cook left. Mingyu reaches over without looking and places it in front of Minghao. Mingyu looks really cool and tuff. Unfortunately, the sentiment doesn't last. Mingyu turns to the right to clean a stain on the island but slips on something behind the counter with a loud yelp.

Minghao does his best to hide his giggle. 

>>>

From there, the Pink Cadillac Diner becomes a safe haven. Whenever a Soc approaches too close, Minghao heads inside the diner and sits at the bar. He's not the only one who does this either. The gang has started seeking safety inside the pink establishment as well. 

Mingyu always pays for them. Minghao, Seokmin, and Wonwoo try to object to the free food. Jihoon and Jeonghan don't care about it at all. They're sometimes in the diner even when there's no trouble. 

It's coming into the third week from when Minghao has met Mingyu. He shows up bright and early now when Mingyu begins his shift. He sketches with a warm cup of coffee and toast by his side, waiting for Mingyu to call it a day. 

He's currently sitting on the barstool, munching absentmindedly on toast and watching Mingyu serve some customers. It's a little more packed than usual this early in the morning, probably because it's Sunday, but he and Mingyu haven't had a chance to chat much today.

After a few minutes, Minghao pulls open a clean page and begins to sketch Mingyu. He wishes he had the right colors to capture how the morning sun sneaks into the diner catching a soft pink light around Mingyu's face. 

The morning rush dies down about an hour later. Minghao is cleaning up his sketch when Mingyu peeks at his book. Minghao isn't fast enough to hide his drawing. Mingyu, surprisingly, doesn't say anything. 

Now that all the customers are gone, Mingyu leans against the back counter and watches Minghao expectantly. 

Minghao's cheeks flush. If Jeonghan is handsome, Mingyu is movie-star handsome. 

He finishes up the details as best he can and then puts his drawing to the side to let it dry before closing it. 

"Finished?" Mingyu asks.

"Just about." He reaches for his coffee and holds the warm mug in his hands. "Hey...what are you doing tonight?"

"Babysitting some ankle-biters, but I can ask my little sister to do it. Why?"

Minghao didn't know that Mingyu had a sister. Now, he wants to learn more about him. 

"I umm...my bike is finished getting fixed this afternoon. I was wondering if you wanted to go to the Nightly Double? I could pick you up?"

Mingyu's eyes open wide, and then he's fiddling with his striped apron. For a moment, Minghao fears he misread the casual flirting. 

"That sounds nice. Nifty! But umm.."

"What?"

"Are you picking me up on your bike?"

"Yeah...what? Don't like motorcycles?"

"It's not that...but ummm...my parents definitely won't...and I kinda live out of the way so uh…"

"I can pick you up at the park?"

Mingyu's nervousness dies down, and he smiles brightly. 

>>>

Later that night, Minghao pulls up near the fountain at the park. He purposefully revs up the engine more than necessary when he stops in front of Mingyu. Mingyu is gawking at him, and from the low street lamps, Minghao can see him blushing.

It makes him feel smug, so he leans against his bike's bars and cocks an eyebrow.

Mingyu opens his mouth and then shuts it in gulps.

"Never seen a bike before?"

Mingyu steps forward. "I have!"

"You've seen Wonwoo's and Jihoon's."

"Not up close."

"Thoughts?"

"It's very...you."

Minghao laughs. "C'mon, hop on."

Mingyu throws a leg over the bike and struggles for a moment to place his feet.

"Shoot," Minghao sighs.

"What?"

"I don't have an extra helmet. Here take mine." He pulls off the helmet and tosses it back. 

Mingyu catches it with clumsy fingers. "You sure?"

"Yeah. If I die, I die."

"You can't say things like that."

Minghao laughs in response. He kicks up the brake and revs the engine. The motorcycle takes off, and Mingyu gasps. Two arms wrap around his waist, and Minghao feels Mingyu's body heat all along his back. He tries to hide his smirk as Mingyu buries his face in his shoulder.

As they approach the drive-in, Minghao hears other motorcycles nearby. He glances over his shoulder and sees the gang. Minghao thins his lips. He was kind of hoping to spend the night with Mingyu alone.

The gang catches up, and they all stop at a red light. 

"Hi Mingyu! You two heading to the drive-in?" Seokmin asks brightly.

Minghao nods.

"Great!" Jeonghan grins. "We're sneaking in."

"Didn't we learn our lesson from last time?" Wonwoo gripes.

Jihoon scrunches his face, "They won't get the better of us this time."

"You started it!" Minghao fights back. 

Jihoon doesn't listen and is the first one to speed off when the light turns green. Minghao lingers behind. "Sorry, do you want to hang out with them?" He asks Mingyu.

Mingyu hasn't even bothered to look up. His arms are still tight around Minghao's middle. It makes Minghao smile fondly. "Mingyu?"

"Hmmm?"

"Do you want to hang out with the gang?"

"If it means getting off the bike sooner, then yes, please."

Minghao snorts. He kicks up and starts to drive again. If he goes a little faster just to feel Mingyu press a little tighter, well, no one can really blame him.

He parks in the alley of the Woolworth store behind the drive-in. Mingyu is very quick to climb off the bike and scramble back onto his feet. He almost trips, and the rest of the gang laughs. Minghao doesn't like the others making fun of Mingyu like that.

"We going in or what?" Minghao interrupts, already heading to the fence and jumping over it.

The rest of the gang quickly jumps over the fence with so many years of experience, but Mingyu stands awkwardly behind it.

"Never jumped a fence?" Minghao asks with a soft smile.

Mingyu shakes his head. Minghao can see he's slightly embarrassed. Minghao looks over his shoulder, about to tell the other guys that they'll catch up in a sec, but the gang is already walking away. Good.

"It's okay, just make sure to swing your leg high over it; otherwise, you might catch a seam in your pants."

Mingyu nods. He grips onto the wired fence and tugs himself up and jumps. It would almost be successful if he hadn't collided with Minghao. 

They fall to the ground. Minghao giggles, and soon Mingyu is as well. Minghao likes seeing this side of Mingyu. He can whip up a milkshake and carry plates of food with grace and confidence, but he's not exactly the most coordinated guy. It's probably those long limbs.

Mingyu stands up, giggles started to fade, and a blush rising on his cheekbones and nose. He offers a hand, and Minghao takes it without thinking. They touch a few seconds longer than necessary, but they understand the cue to pull away simultaneously.

"Sooo…" Mingyu starts as they walk to the drive-in. "You're always sneaking into places?"

Minghao shrugs. "When Jeonghan is involved, yeah. I try to be honest and stuff but even I gotta admit some stuff is too expensive for me so I don't mind hopping a fence or two."

"I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"That you can't pay for—"

"—It's fine. It don't bother me...does it bother you?"

"No, I don't care that you're a Greaser. I've told you this."

"Yeah, well, sometimes…"

"My friends tell me that Greasers are just no good hoods."

Minghao has heard this all before, but he gets stuck on Mingyu's previous words. "You have friends?"

Mingyu laughs loudly. "I do hang out with people other than you. They tell me all sorts of things, but I don't buy it. You're not like what they say. Neither are your friends."

"Really? Jihoon could be a poster boy for us."

"No. He's nice too. When he comes over to the diner, he always asks for an extra milkshake to-go for Seokmin."

Minghao smiles upon hearing this. 

"Seriously, you aren't any type of hood. You draw."

"Please don't bring that up to the gang."

"Why not? It's cool."

"Yeah, but not tuff. They would make fun of me for it."

"I'm sure they wouldn't."

"I like keeping it private."

"...but...I know?"

"Private between us."

He feels Mingyu's hand brush against his. Minghao looks up at him and smiles. Mingyu smiles back down at him, and they fall into another fit of giggles that they can't quite explain. This is nice. There's no pressure to be anything. There's no expectation between them. 

Mingyu pulls ahead of him and starts walking backward. It looks like a hazard, but Minghao isn't going to stop him. "C'mon, I want popcorn. You owe me some for all the free food."

Minghao sighs fondly. His eyes quickly fall to the pink of Mingyu's polo shirt, where it's unbuttoned to reveal a bit of his collarbone. 

Minghao meets his eyes. "Only if you ask nicely."

Mingyu sticks out his bottom lip, and his eyes shine with mischief. Minghao feels his skin heat with the same color of Mingyu's shirt: Pink. 


	2. Chapter 2

It takes a while for Minghao and Mingyu to catch up with the gang at the drive-in. As they arrive, they see Jeonghan sprawled against his chair, feet kicked up with Jihoon's head in his lap. Wonwoo is lying down across three chairs, trying to curl his long limbs into his chest. Seokmin is nowhere to be found. 

Minghao sits beside Wonwoo, and Mingyu takes the vacant seat on his left. Before Minghao can ask, Seokmin speed walks toward them. Red, the same color as Jeonghan's leather jacket, flames across Seokmin's cheeks. 

"It didn't work," Seokmin says poutily, coming to sit in their row and dropping down onto the seat beside Jeonghan. 

Jeonghan sympathetically pouts at Seokmin's depressed face. "Really, it didn't work?"

"I asked her if she wanted to spend time with us, but she just walked away."

Ah, now Minghao understands. Since summer school began, Seokmin has had his eyes on this cute, doe-eyed Greaser girl. 

"Maybe you were doing it wrong," Jihoon offers, sitting up. 

Jeonghan agrees, "Yeah. It always works for me. Watch."

Jeonghan leans back in his chair, so it's titled on two legs. He spots a pair of pretty girls walking toward the concession stand, and catches the eye of the little blonde one. He raises two elegant eyebrows and then winks at her. As predicted, the blonde girl turns bright red, giggles toward her friend, but smirks in Jeonghan's direction.

Seokmin sighs, running a hand through his greased hair. "Maybe I just don't have it."

"Ah, you'll get it," Minghao encourages. "Maybe she's just a tough one to crack."

"Huh. Maybe. So what are we watching?" Seokmin asks, settling more comfortably in his seat.

"Invasion of the Body Snatchers," Wonwoo answers.

Minghao hears Mingyu release a slight gasp at the same time as Seokmin whines. Whereas Seokmin's noise is clearly laced with fear, Mingyu looks delighted.

"You like scary movies?" Minghao asks softly, away from the others who are now trying to get Seokmin to talk to the girl again in the pretense of making him go get snacks. 

"Oh, it's not scary in the slightest. It's this sci-fi, suspenseful thriller. I saw this movie back in the city. The makeup and props really help set the entire tone and message. I'm pretty sure it's this anti-communist message even though the director denied it several times….What?" Mingyu trails off and looks at Minghao.

Minghao feels a bubble of fondness well up in his chest. He shrugs, "Nothing. So you like movies?"

"Film," Mingyu corrects. 

"Noted."

Minghao glances over his shoulder and sees Jihoon and Seokmin lose at rock, paper, scissors and are forced to get snacks for everyone. Wonwoo throws some money at them, and they walk off toward the concession stand.

The movie begins as soon as the two appear again. Jihoon and Seokmin procure frighteningly large quantities of popcorn, hot dogs, coca-cola—of course—licorice, and, Woah, is that cotton candy? Minghao reaches for the pink ball of fluff and grabs popcorn to share between him and Mingyu. 

Throughout the movie, Mingyu keeps whispering different facts about the film he read about in the papers and magazines. Each time Mingyu leans into him, Minghao unconsciously scoots in closer. By the time the movie is nearly over, Mingyu and Minghao's shoulder and thigh are pushed tightly together. He only notices when he hears Jeonghan whine and tells Minghao to be a good younger brother and get him more soda. 

He hastily breaks apart from Mingyu and stands. Jihoon requests some too. 

"I'll go with you," Mingyu offers. 

"No, it's okay."

But Mingyu is already rising to his feet. They walk together to the concession stand, but Minghao has to guide Mingyu's clumsy feet. Even though Mingyu had said he had seen the movie already, the taller boy can't seem to take his eyes off the giant screen. Minghao enjoys pressing his hand at Mingyu's back to stray him from obstacles in their path. 

By the time they reach the front of the line, the movie has come to an end. Minghao takes the offered cokes from Junhui, a bright-eyed older student who works the concession stand every summer. 

He thinks it's pointless to offer the guys drinks now that the movie is over, and the other teens have started to head back to their cars to head home or drive to make-out-point. But who is he to question Jeonghan's whims?

A hand drops to his lower back and pushes him forward. Minghao raises an eyebrow as Mingyu begins to cart him around the narrow alley behind the concession stand and a brick wall. It's partially hidden from view. No one would really notice them unless they are actively looking.

The car beams occasionally shine through, illuminating Mingyu's face as he stands in front of him.

"Hey," Mingyu says breathlessly. He smiles bashfully that his mouth tugs up to reveal for a second a sharp tooth. 

Minghao's ears pinken immediately. "Hey," he says in return.

"Thanks for um...inviting me."

Minghao nods, awkwardly holding the two drinks in between them. "Anytime."

Mingyu looks over Minghao's head and rubs the back of his neck. "So I...I hope I read the signals correctly; otherwise, this is going to be incredibly awkward. And you can punch me if I read this wrong. But you uh..."

He stands a little straighter as Mingyu starts to lose confidence. Minghao knows where this is going. He's not stupid. They've been toying this unspeakable line for days now. "I what?"

"You make my brain go fuzzy," Mingyu blurts.

It's not what Minghao expects to hear. "Fuzzy? You should get that checked out."

Mingyu glowers at him, and Minghao is unable to hold back a few giggles. He drops his arms and lets the two soda drinks hang loosely from his fingers. He peers up at him, thins his lips, and cocks a brow. "Sorry. I um...you make the sunrise pink," Minghao replies, feeling incredibly stupid as soon as it leaves his mouth.

It's Mingyu's turn to get cocky. 

"Oh?"

"Shut up," Minghao giggles, looking away for a second and then back at Mingyu.

Mingyu's eyes dart down to his lips. The laughter stops, and his breath gets trapped in his throat, almost choking him. Mingyu looks back at him, and Minghao shuts his eyes as an answer. He hopes Mingyu understands. He's too embarrassed to say things like this aloud. It would definitely be frowned upon. He feels Mingyu's breath on his lips and Minghao's shoulders tense. 

"There you are!"

They both gasp, and the soda drops from Minghao's hands. It splashes at their feet and coats the frays of their jeans and shoes. 

Minghao looks out at the end of the nook and sees Wonwoo, gasping for breath. He doesn't have to say anything more. Minghao knows something is wrong. He dashes down the small alley and follows Wonwoo. Mingyu is at his heels. 

They get back to their seats and see a circle of teens, much like the last time. Except for this time, he sees Seokmin nursing his jaw with Jihoon standing in front of him. And worse yet, he sees Jeonghan at the center holding a switchblade at Choi Seungcheol, the Socs' ringleader. Minghao's heart stops. 

Seungcheol has a busted pop bottle tight in his hand, ready for the other to strike. But it's not a fair fight because Soonyoung and Seungkwan stand with their fists raised behind him. 

Minghao holds his breath, trying to figure out how to get Jeonghan and the others away from this situation. He thinks he can take Seungkwan. He's the closest one there. Yet, before he can react, he sees a large figure rush past him to the center of the circle. 

It takes him a moment to realize it's Mingyu. 

Mingyu raises a fist and, without any hesitation and clocks Seungcheol across the face. The entire crowd gasps as Seungcheol falls onto his back.

"Run!" Mingyu cries out.

Instinct kicks in. His feet take him away from the crowd and to the field by the drive-in. The others are right behind him, and Jeonghan, even though he was the one to leave the scene, quickly takes up the front. The Socs are behind them, making chase. 

Adrenaline surges through all of them that they jump the fence. When the Socs see their bikes, Seungcheol shouts at the other Socs to head back and get the cars. Minghao is throwing his helmet at Mingyu and already revving up his engine. 

"Go to the Pink Cadillac. I got the keys!" Mingyu shouts over the rumble of the engines. 

They all start speeding onto the main street and can hear the Soc's Corvairs behind them. Minghao looks in his mirrors more than necessary. He knows that even if they catch up, they won't get them. 

Minghao sees the Pink Cadillac Diner's lights shining brightly in pink and blue despite the diner being closed. He feels his shoulders release some of the tension and hastily parks in the lot. No one bothers to park correctly. They jump off their bikes behind Mingyu, who is fishing in his pockets for the keys. 

He manages to get them all inside and lock the door as the Corvairs pull up in the parking lot. Soonyoung gets out of the car first and goes for the door, but he curses up a storm when he realizes that the door is locked. He says something to the others, and Minghao can see Seungcheol lock eyes with Mingyu. The older teen narrows his eyes but orders the other Socs to get back in the car. 

As the Corvair drives away, all of them sigh out in relief. 

"Nice slug there," Jihoon laughs, slapping Mingyu harshly across the back. The others do as well, and Mingyu curls in on himself, smiling shyly. 

"Well, I hope the Socs aren't circling the block. I gotta get out of here," Wonwoo says. "I have an early shift at the gas station tomorrow. And you two have summer school."

Seokmin and Jeonghan both give equal pouts. 

"One day of skipping wouldn't hurt," Seokmin whines. 

It looks like Wonwoo is about to give in because, with Seokmin's sad expression combined with his blossoming bruise, he really looks like a kicked puppy. 

"No, come on both of you out," Wonwoo holds firm.

Seokmin sighs and Jeonghan whines loudly but is already heading out the door. Jihoon follows behind them.

"You coming?" Jihoon asks Minghao.

"I gotta take Mingyu home first," he answers.

Minghao stands at the doorway of the Pink Cadillac and watches his friends drive off down the road. He turns to Mingyu, "Ready to head home?"

"I ummm...do you actually want to stay for a bit?"

Minghao's ears turn pink again, suddenly remembering their almost kiss just a few moments ago. He swallows and nods. Mingyu invades his space to shut the door and lock it again.

He releases a shaky breath when Mingyu pulls back. Mingyu stands somewhat confidently, but his face is twisted in nervous anticipation. 

The diner is dark as Mingyu walks toward the bar. He pushes open the door to the kitchen and turns on a single light. Minghao can hear some clattering in the back, and Minghao takes his usual seat on the stool.

Mingyu returns with some supplies for a milkshake. 

Minghao smiles and lets Mingyu prepare him one. He works in silence, and Minghao pays special attention to Mingyu's hands. His knuckles on his left hand are slightly bruised from where they punched Seungcheol. Minghao still can't believe that Mingyu did that. He'll be associated with the Greasers for sure, and when they return to school, everyone will ostracize him for it. 

"Hey, no sad faces," Mingyu says. He sets a pink milkshake in front of Minghao. He swirls some whipped cream on top and drops a pink straw in the drink. 

Minghao smiles as he takes the first sip. He nearly chokes as Mingyu suddenly says, "I want to draw you."

Minghao pulls back and wipes the milkshake off his lips with the back of his hand. "What?"

"You drew me, c'mon. Please?" Mingyu pouts. 

Minghao hates how he gets weak. "Do you even have your sketchbook here?"

"In the back room. Give me a moment."

Mingyu disappears again. Minghao takes a minute to press his palms to his cheeks. He feels like he's burning. Secretly, he had always hoped he would find another boy that liked other boys. He dreamed about it. Moving far away from this town, to the city, or better yet, the beach. The two would move in together, adopt a dog or two, maybe take in a neighborhood cat. His cheeks warm even further as Minghao gets ahead of himself. 

It's just a crush. 

Mingyu returns, and unlike taking his usual spot at the bar, he walks down and sits on the stool chairs, leaving one open between them. 

Minghao doesn't know what to do. So he twiddles with his straw as he hears Mingyu's confident strokes across the paper. 

"So, you like me?" Mingyu blurts.

Minghao is impressed with Mingyu's lack of shame. It's welcomed, though. 

"I thought I said so back at the drive-in."

"You just said I color sunrises in pink."

"Well, you did. When I first met you at the lot."

Mingyu scrunches his face and flips to another page. He glances up at him and then looks back down at his sketchbook. "So, what does that mean?"

"It means...that you are trying to get some embarrassing admission out of me."

"I like you," Mingyu admits. Minghao hunches over in surprise with his straw hanging on his bottom lip. "Hold that pose."

"I can't stay hunched over forever," Minghao whines, but doesn't move. 

"Then, as long as you can, please."

Mingyu draws in silence for several breaths, and then Minghao pushes away the fear of rejection and every little thing he's heard about people like them. "I like you too."

Mingyu grins. "You know the first day I saw you sitting in that booth over there, I thought, gosh darn. He's the finest boy I've seen."

"Even with the switchblade?"

Mingyu looks up at him and waggles his eyebrows. "What can I say? I like them wild and sexy."

Minghao rolls his eyes. "My opinions on your striped pink apron and bowtie says a lot about me then.

"What? That I look incredibly sexy in my paper white hat?"

"I'm not answering that one on the grounds of insanity."

"Yours or mine?"

"Take your pick."

Mingyu looks up at him again and smiles. 

"Thanks for helping the others out there," Minghao says as Mingyu continues to draw.

"It wasn't anything. Seungcheol can be a big nuisance, but he's just a whiny baby in the end. Kind of reminds me of your friend Jeonghan in some ways."

Minghao frowns. "You know him?"

Mingyu's hand halts. "...From what I've heard about him." He takes a quick peek at Minghao and turns back to the paper. "And I've talked to him a few times."

"Oh. He's probably trying to get you on their side, then. He probably heard you've been helping us this summer."

"Probably." Mingyu smiles and then flips the sketchbook so Minghao can look at Mingyu's quick sketch. 

Minghao’s heart stops.

"You know," And this is where Mingyu hesitates. "You look really tuff and cool and beautiful."

"Tuff and beautiful shouldn't go together," Minghao says. 

"Says who?"

And Minghao doesn't know the answer to that. His eyes drop to Mingyu's lips. He considers leaning forward and kissing Mingyu like he was unable to do before. But embarrassment claws up first, "I should take you home."

Mingyu shakes his head. "I'll use the phone here and ask my dad to pick me up. He's probably already worried because I said I would be home thirty minutes ago."

"You sure?"

"Yeah, you go on ahead."

Minghao stands to his feet, not knowing what to do right now. Does he pat Mingyu on the shoulder? Kiss him goodbye?

"Hey," Mingyu interrupts his thoughts. "My family is actually throwing a party on Wednesday. It's going to be this boring thing with a bunch of my dad's friends, but he said I could invite a few friends of my own, and we can hang out in some other part of the house. You can invite the guys too if you want? 

"Yeah, that sounds good. Do you have an address?"

"Oh, it's actually a little out of the town. Here," Mingyu opens his sketchbook to a clean page. He jots a few things down and rips the page out to hand it to Minghao. "Here are the directions. It's at 8:00. But you can come later if you want."

"Okay," Minghao glances down at the directions. It is out of town. He heard that there was starting to be some development of houses outside the town's areas. There was some talk in the newspaper that it might mean they would have to build a second high school. "I'll be there."

Mingyu grins brightly.

Minghao's knees threaten to buckle. He pockets the directions in his leather jacket and awkwardly waves at Mingyu, walking out of the diner. 

>>>

Minghao's stomach knots and threatens to spill out of his mouth as he approaches closer to Mingyu's home. He foolishly wonders for a brief moment if he read the direction's wrong, but it's just wishful thinking.

They pass through empty fields and come across half-built homes. There are several up ahead with "For Sale" signs posted with images of realtors in uncomfortable looking suits.

There's a single white home up ahead with light spilling out of every window. It can barely be called home. It looks nearly like a mansion from a Hollywood film. It's a two-story building with white columns and a driveway that circles across the house's front.

Minghao slows down and stops his bike a block away from their destination. The others do as well and park beside him.

Jeonghan on his right snorts and leans against his handlebars. "Well, this just got interesting."

Minghao snaps toward him and glares at him.

"What are we going to do?" Seokmin asks, clearly reading his mind without meaning to.

Minghao is close to saying that he wants to head back to the lot and get piss-drunk and maybe light some fireworks to annoy the neighbors, but Jihoon beats him to it. "I think we should head inside."

"Why?" Minghao retorts.

"So I can punch him for lying."

Minghao would be lying if he didn't agree with Jihoon. He kind of wants to beat Mingyu too. But more than anything, he wants an honest explanation.

"You sure?" Wonwoo asks.

"Ah, c'mon it would be rude to ignore Mingyu's invitation," Jeonghan interrupts.

Everyone glares at him. Clearly, Jeonghan is being nosy and wants to see what drama is about to unfold.

"Yeah, I'm sure. Let's go."

Minghao kicks up and starts up the engine again. They drive down the short block and pull up into the driveway. Several adults in their Corvairs and fancy Cadillacs glare at them as they arrive.

Minghao does his best to ignore them and just parks his bike by the freaking fountain in the center of the circle driveway. He throws his helmet onto the bar of the bike, knowing that none of these rich folks would steal a piece of junk like that.

They get halfway across the driveway before a man in a tacky black penguin suit comes running toward them. "No, you must be going now. This is an invitation only. you cannot enter here!"

Jihoon and Jeonghan look affronted by what the man is telling him. Jihoon looks ready to pull his fist back, and for once, Minghao is not going to stop him. He needs to see Mingyu now.

_ "Hey, hey, no need to call the cops!"  _ Minghao hears a familiar voice shout. He looks toward the entrance of the home and sees Mingyu spill out. He's tumbling over his feet down the short set of stairs toward them. He claps the man on the shoulder. "They're my friends. I invited them here."

"Your father would be very displeased to know that you have been consorting with people--"

"Dad said I could invite whoever I want. I'm taking them downstairs anyway."

Mingyu looks at them and catches Minghao's eyes. There's a nervous tic underneath his left cheek. Minghao watches it bounce and try to stop jumping as Mingyu pulls his face into an awkward smile. Minghao keeps his face passive, and Mingyu's smile immediately drops.

"Fine, but if your father starts to yell, I had no such involvement in this tomfoolery," the man says and turns on his winged tip dress shoes back inside the home.

"Nice dude, family member?" Wonwoo asks

"Ah, no. He's our butler," Mingyu says carefully to Wonwoo. He sneaks a glance at Minghao.

Minghao keeps the rage inside at his answer, he blinks twice, and Mingyu's frown gets sadder. Good. He better feel guilty.

"So? Are you inviting us inside?" Jeonghan says a little too gleefully.

"Oh, yeah!" Mingyu exclaims. He asks the others to follow him inside the home. 

Minghao takes a deep breath and follows Mingyu up the steps. As soon as they enter, Minghao can hear the buzz and chatter from the adults. They are scattered all over the house in fancy dresses and suits. All of them have some sort of wine or whiskey glass in their hand and laughing obnoxiously. It's definitely not helping Minghao's sour mood.

They trail after Mingyu to a set of stairs that lead into the basement. As soon as they are inside the giant home's first real room, the others' eyes are darting everywhere, taking everything in. Minghao swears he sees Jeonghan lift an expensive-looking ashtray and tuck it inside his leather jacket. Minghao, though, keeps his eyes locked on Mingyu's back.

He sees his shoulders are tense as they walk to the other side of the room and fiddles with a turntable. He sets the record onto it, and soft music fills the room. Awkwardly, Mingyu turns around, and this time Minghao really stares.

Mingyu is wearing an expensive-looking green suit. It definitely looks tailored because he can't imagine any suit fitting his long limbs perfectly. There's an expensive-looking watch sitting on Mingyu's right wrist that Minghao has definitely never seen before. Everything looks so fake. 

"Nice--" Seokmin starts, but Minghao can't help it. He snaps. "So you're a Soc?"

The room falls deathly silent except for the soft jazz music playing in the background.

Mingyu takes a deep breath, but he does answer. "I told you that beef don't matter with me."

"It matters to us!" Minghao cries out.

The others take an awkward step back and glance at the floor.

"We always gotta watch our backs because rich, snotty brats are always looking to harass us," Minghao continues. "All of you just act like you and your daddies own everything in this goddamn town and think that gives you the right to act like a bunch of dung heads!"

_ "That's right. We do own everything in this town." _

Everyone holds their breath and glance toward the stairs. Minghao's skin runs cold as he sees Seungcheol lean against the banister and cock an eyebrow grinning. He's got a nasty purple bruise on his jaw from where Mingyu had slugged him a few days ago. Behind him, Soonyoung and Seungkwan stand with their hands in their pockets, glowering at all of them.

Seungcheol catches Jeonghan's eyes and smirks. Minghao prays Jeonghan won't do anything rash. Those two have a deep history.

"Why did you invite them, Mingyu?" Seungcheol asks, descending the last few stairs and joining them in the basement.

"They're my friends," Mingyu pouts.

"I don't know why you gotta pick up dirty hoods like that, though," Seungkwan snarks.

Jihoon bares his teeth at them in response.

And that's what they are, aren't they? Minghao considers chewing Mingyu out in front of the others, but what would be the point. He's already embarrassed himself by coming here. And hey, maybe that's what all this was. Maybe Mingyu was pulling some elaborate prank with his Soc friends, and they were going to humiliate him later. Fuck, he needs to get out of here.

Minghao shoves his way past Seungcheol and Soonyoung. He hears Mingyu call his name, but he doesn't look back.

He should have turned back as soon as he saw the house. Hell, he should have told Mingyu to scram as soon as he saw him sitting in their turf.

He distantly hears the others following after him. He secretly hopes that Mingyu is chasing after him too, but he's too scared to look back. Minghao knows that if he turns and doesn't see Mingyu there, he's going to cry.

He can't cry in front of the others.

He gets to his bike and grabs his helmet as he hops onto his seat. Jeonghan stands immediately in front of his bike, and Minghao is about to tell him to back off, but Jeonghan gives him this very concerned look that makes some of the tension leave his shoulders. Jeonghan doesn't need to say anything, but Minghao still appreciates Jeonghan asking. "Do you want to spend the night in the lot?"

Minghao thins his lip and nods.

The others hop onto their bikes at their reactions and begin to drive-off.

Minghao glances back at the entrance of the house and waits. He counts to five. Mingyu never appears.

>>>

In the morning, the gang had to leave: Wonwoo and Jihoon to work and for once, Seokmin and Jeonghan to summer school. Minghao spends the rest of the day in the lot. Occasionally he leaves to grab snacks from the liquor store a block away, and he goes home to change and collect a few things, but for the most part, he sits on the rickety sofa drawing angrily across his sketchbook.

Most of his drawings are abstract and indecipherable, but this. This is something else entirely. It's angry stokes and tears across the page in heavy charcoal. Black smears appear on his hands and, unknown to him, across the tip of his nose. 

He can't fucking believe it.

Mingyu, a Soc. 

Just when he thinks life is going great, this has to happen. It was too good to be true. That's why. 

The summer sun begins to set, and Minghao loses track of time. The sky is spread out in a vibrant orange and pink and black. 

He stares in awe for a moment, feeling the scenery heal his heart.

_ "Hey." _

Minghao freezes, and the charcoal snaps in between his fingers. 

He doesn't want to turn around. 

_ "I'm sorry about last night."  _

Minghao frowns and drops his gaze to his sketchbook. 

_ "I shouldn't have let Seungcheol talk to you like that." _

He hangs his head and tightens his jaw. The silence drags on forever, and Minghao still won't turn around. He hopes Mingyu takes the hint and just leaves.

It feels like five minutes pass until Mingyu makes any other noise. This time, Minghao hears the crunch of his feet against the weeds as he walks around the couch to stand in front of him.

"That's not the apology you deserve. I'm sorry, I should have told you I was from...money."

Minghao abruptly looks up. "Why didn't you?" Blurts out of his mouth.

Mingyu sighs and looks down at him sadly. He has his hands inside his jeans. "I don't know."

"Was it to make fun of me?!"

"What?! No!"

"Did Seungcheol set you up? Did he find out I like—," Minghao can't say it. "And told you to fuck with me?"

"No! He doesn't know anything!" Mingyu shouts back, clearly losing patience with the whine in his voice.

"Then, why?!"

"Because I didn't want you to stop talking to me!" 

Minghao stops. Embarrassment floods his system, and he glances back at his sketchbook. He hears Mingyu sigh above him.

"Come with me."

Minghao looks up again. "What?"

"To the diner."

"It's closed. Everyone is at the park for the Summer Festival."

"Exactly."

Minghao licks his lips and thinks it over for a short minute. Finally, he nods. Together, they walk to Minghao's bike that's parked behind the fence. 

Minghao hops on with ease, and Mingyu tucks himself close as he climbs behind him. Minghao drives the short distance to the diner and parks. Everything is off, including the neon lights. He hears in the distance the shouts from a crowd and the occasional firework lighting up the sky.

Mingyu jumps off his bike and fiddles with his keys. Minghao trails after him silently and watches as Mingyu turns on every light inside.

They take their usual spots.

Minghao on his stool and Mingyu leaned against the bar.

"So?" Minghao asks, not wanting to be here longer than he needs to be.

"I'm going to make you a milkshake," Mingyu says as if Minghao has no opinion.

Minghao sighs and watches Mingyu's work. "Why do you work here if you have money?"

"My dad says it builds character. And...he says if I want my own car, I got to work for it."

Minghao frowns, "Your dad is not like the other dads in this town."

"No, he's not," Mingyu pauses for a moment as he drops a scoop of strawberry ice cream into the mixer. "You would like him."

Minghao doesn't say anything to that. He leans forward and drops his chin onto both of his open palms. "Why didn't you come after me when I left...I thought you said...I make your brain fuzzy or something like that."

Mingyu stops what he's doing and leans on the counter. "Because I was scared of what I would say in front of the others, and they would…"

Mingyu doesn't need to finish that. Minghao understands now. The repercussions of everyone knowing that they're.........are worse than a Greaser and a Soc being friends. 

"You really don't care about reputation or turf or anything like that?"

"Why should I? My daddy owns half this town anyway. We only moved here to close the deals on the homes he's got building." He says it with such an air of nonchalance that Minghao doesn't know what to reply. He's probably right though, of why that's the reason why it doesn't bug him. All the other Socs probably have to answer him—and that makes Minghao laugh. It's never been the diner that scared the Socs off. It was Mingyu. Mingyu has been protecting them from the start.

"What?" Mingyu asks. "What's so funny?" 

Minghao shakes his head. "Nothing. Where's my milkshake?"

Mingyu grins and resumes his work. "I thought you wouldn't want to talk to me," Mingyu admits.

"I thought about it."

"And?"

"I like you too much."

Mingyu nearly drops the milkshake. 

Minghao's eyes and nose crinkle as he smiles. "I think... I'm definitely annoyed. With you."

"Huh?" Mingyu gasps and whines. A small pout forms at his lips, and Minghao smiles, tilting his head to the side in fondness at his reaction.

"I'm annoyed and will be annoyed with you for a very, very long time that you didn't tell me about you being a Soc."

"What? I'm not even a Soc!" Mingyu exclaims, setting the milkshake in front of Minghao.

He doesn't take it. "The fancy green suit and watch say otherwise."

Mingyu's pout grows, and Minghao can't help it; he keeps going. "And that house...no wonder you didn't want me to pick you up."

"I was scared you wouldn't talk to me; I told you that."

"Well, you're gonna have to do a great job at making it up to me then." 

Mingyu pushes out his lips the farthest they can go and gives him the biggest defeated look. "How?"

Minghao grins, "Kiss me."

He expects Mingyu to flail in embarrassment and pull back in shock, but he doesn't do either. He leans over the counter forcefully and over the milkshake plants a full-on kiss on Minghao's lips.

Minghao's eyes open wide in shock, a little taken back, but slowly he flutters them shut and presses into the kiss. It doesn't last very long, but when Mingyu pulls back, Minghao can't stop laughing.

"What?"

He doesn't tell him that he's got whipped cream and strawberry pink milkshake all his chin. Instead, he stands to his feet, pulls Mingyu by his shirt, and kisses him again. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and then school starts and then no one knows how to react to Mingyu and Minghao hanging out together and then Seungkwan is offended that Mingyu starts getting all the school's attention because of it and wants his own Greaser so he starts hanging out with Seokmin, and to the terror (enjoyment of hao) booseoksoon ends up forming. Hoshi starts to pester jihoon at the gas station everyday. and seungcheol and jeonghan work out their very deep history (see: jeonghan embarrassed cheol very badly in fourth grade gym) and seungcheol helps jeonghan get settled in one of the new homes by mingyu's house and they become roommates /eyes/ with seokmin of course. 
> 
> hope you enjoyed this story~  
> please leave comments~  
> follow me on twitter [twinklingpaopu](https://twitter.com/twinklingpaopul)


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